Acceptance trials

The future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) successfully completed acceptance trials December 20, returning to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Pascagoula shipyard after spending two days at sea in the Gulf of Mexico.

During acceptance trials, the ship and its crew performed a series of demonstrations for review by the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). These demonstrations are used by INSURV to validate the quality of construction and compliance with Navy specifications and requirements prior to delivery of the ship to the U.S. Navy.

«The ship performed very well, which is a testament to the preparation and commitment of the Navy-shipbuilder team», said Captain Casey Moton, DDG-51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «The ship also previously performed a successful SM-2 shoot during builder’s trials, further demonstrating the readiness of the ship’s Aegis weapon system and ship’s force. These trials put the ship on a solid path towards delivery to the U.S. Navy».

The DDG-51 class ships currently being constructed are Aegis Baseline 9 Integrated Air and Missile Defense destroyers with increased computing power and radar upgrades that improve detection and reaction capabilities against modern air warfare and Ballistic Missile Defense threats. When operational, USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) and her sister ships will serve as integral assets in global maritime security.

The future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) is expected to be delivered to the Navy early next year. HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the future destroyers USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119), USS Frank E. Peterson Jr. (DDG-121), USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) and USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the first Flight III ship. HII was recently awarded a contract for the design and construction of six additional DDG-51 class Flight III ships.

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and boats and craft.